So which kidney did you have transplanted?

[askmeanythingkidney]

Ok, weird AIBU post and really a question for GPs and medical professionals on Mumsnet

TLDR: would you expect a Gp/medical professional to have a basic understanding that you can live happily with one kidney?

Background. I had a kidney transplant some years ago. I have since had children and am regularly seen by my nephrologist and the team.

The last couple of years (especially with pregnancies) I have had to see my GP/consultant gynaecologists/ anaesthetists etc. My transplant has always come up as part of my medical history. 9 times out of 10 I get asked questions along the lines of

-So which kidney did you have transplanted?

-Which kidney stopped working?

-Which kidney did they replace?

-Which kidney came out?

And many many similar.

Now, I would NOT expect the general population to know this but you can live a pretty normal life with just one healthy kidney. It's not uncommon to be born with just one, to have one removed for some reason etc. If you still have one kidney, then you don't need a transplant. So the answer to all of the above questions is 'eh? Both stopped working??'

I'm afraid I lost my cool a bit today over the phone with a GP who asked me if it was my left or right one that was transplanted? I said, both kidneys failed and that's why I needed a transplant. I was told, no....one of my kidneys would still be working ok, I probably just wasn't told which one they took out and transplanted.... I explained again that they don't remove a kidney when they transplant, they just add the third one in.

The GP then just got a bit frustrated and said he'd check my notes as I obviously wasn't made aware which one. I got a bit angry and said perhaps I should ask Google for help with my question as that seemed more informed than he did. Yes, totally unreasonable of me and I asked to speak to someone else who was infinitely more helpful.

So, as a Doctor or someone in the medical field, would you know that you only have a transplant if both kidneys stop working and if one still does, it negates the need for a transplant in the first place? AIBU to get frustrated with the same constant questions?

The upside of these experiences, OTOH, is it teaches you that doctors are not infallible and that has given me the confidence to be much more assertive and discursive with them.

I assume it wasn’t about something that was relayed to a side of your body? E.g.
you: “I have awful pain in my right side” …
Dr: “which side of your body is your working kidney on?”.

I mean, it doesn’t sound like it, but that’s the only way it would make sense as a conversation with a qualified medical professional.

Not a doctor and have no experience with kidney issues, know no one who does and haven't done anything sciencey since gcse's years ago. Even I knew you could live with just one working kidney so YANBU to expect a dr to know. However, I didn't know that they left them in when doing a transplant and just add the 3rd one, that's fascinating!

Not a doctor but I knew all of this.

I have watched many episodes of Holby City and ER though!

Thing is, other solid organ transplants are almost always orthotopic (transplanted into the same anatomical position) so I don't think that it's a completely stupid question to ask which one was transplanted. What is a bit strange is them insisting that they need to know which one it was - even if they had done an orthotopic transplant why would it make any difference to the medical issue that you're currently consulting them about?!

I knew all that stuff. No medical background whatsoever. I guess they would take out one or both kidneys if someone had cancer, but really that GP sounds crass and incompetent.

I am with you on this OP, I had a Kidney and pancreas transplant a few years ago and the number of medical professionals inc my own GP who presumed I had either 1 failed Kidney so had only that 1 replaced or had both failed kidneys removed when I had the transplant is ridiculous!

Think this would commonly be known
however I don’t agree at all with the poster Maythe4th who suggestscomplain to PALS.

excessive and inappropriate complaints are a good way to have even less doctors working in this country.is that what you want?

I really would expect a GP to understand this. I don’t think YABU at all.

Thanks all for your replies. To answer some questions...

The issue I've had to speak to GPs about recently is a reoccurring issue with ear infections so nothing that requires them to ask which kidney. Weird!

They definitely know I am the recipient of the kidney transplant and am on immune suppressants because of it. I start each conversation with 'just to confirm my background, I had a kidney transplant in xxx'. The reason I bring this up as it limits which medicines I can be prescribed

The assumption is definitely that I still have a working kidney (in addition to the transplanted kidney). When I reply to their questions, the response is usually along the lines of 'wow, both kidneys failed?' Or 'right, so no native working kidney then?'.

Posters are correct that they can't be expected to know everything but I'm just surprised by how many seem to not know this and the responses on this thread would suggest it's unusual to not know that both kidneys have to fail to require a transplant (although I'm not expecting them to know I have kept my kidneys and the new one is added as that does seem specialist).

I think the doctor today just really angered me by trying to insist I didn't know the reason I'd been on dialysis, the details of the major surgery id had or my own anatomy!

Just to confirm, I have no intention of complaining in general (but I have written to the Practice Manager about the doctor today as that was uncalled for)

Just venting really as it's such a regular occurrence

As a hp I think GP should have known both kidneys had failed before someone gets a transplant. However I can imagine they don't know they leave the kidneys in place.

GPs can show shockingly little knowledge around less usual situations. My dh told one that he had been diagnosed with ms and she asked him what that meant and in front of him literally googled it I don't usually criticis GPs, they have a really hard job, but sometimes it's hard not to.

Same! I knew you could have one, but the news you could have several stuffed in there is fascinating! You could end up like 50% kidney. How is there room for all this excess kidney?

I knew that you only needed one working kidney. I'd forgotten that they don't remove them though and just add the transplanted kidney . I'm not a Dr or hcp

I knew that.

Not only from GCSE/A Level biology and a fab teacher but also because my dad had end stage renal failure and spent years on dialysis.

The GP sounds like they need to go back to medical school a refresher course.

@askmeanythingkidney you need one of these t shirts for exclusive use during any medical consultation.

I feel silly because I had absolutely no idea of this

I explained again that they don't remove a kidney when they transplant, they just add the third one in.

However I did know that you can function on just one. I'm baffled that a GP didn't know this!

I’m a doctor that doesn’t work in GP or in renal medicine. I know transplants are usually a third kidney, and not in the normal anatomical position.

But transplant surgery is only done in certain centres, so it’s possible to train having met very few transplant patients and not retain that piece of knowledge whilst trying to remember everything else.

I don't understand why they keep asking you which kidney was removed (even though it wasn't)? What difference would it make?

Honestly, I've no idea. I get the impression it's small talk or 'just out of interest'. It's a repeat ear infection so the fact I've had a transplant is relevant (as can't take some drugs) but not at all which 'side' or where the new kidney is

I'm a doctor and have known this since medical school. BUT I went to uni in a transplant centre and volunteered with the transplant team, and I have done anaesthetics for kidney transplants before, so probably had more exposure than your average GP.

They only very rarely remove the non-functioning kidney(s) e.g. if they've got cancer or are chronically infected or are polycystic and so big they're causing problems because of their size. Most of the time they don't - it would be a much bigger operation to do so!

One particular appointment that did make me chuckle in hindsight-I was going for my 12 week scan with baby number 2.

The lady doing it was chatting away trying to put my mind at ease and started having a look before sharing her screen.

She looked perplexed and furrowed her brow. She said not to worry but she just had to get her colleague. I was having heart palpitations at this point.

Came back with a colleague who took over and then gave me a wry smile and said 'ahhhh, it's been a while since I've found a kidney when trying to locate a baby'. And then asked when I'd had my transplant

The initial sonographer apologised and said she'd not come across one before and was confused why a kidney would be in front of the pelvis. I did breathe a big sigh of relief!

I think it's pretty disappointing for your GP to keep asking you daft questions and behave as if it's not possible for you to know more than them. It's pretty arrogant of him.

I thought it was pretty common knowledge that you could live quite happily with one kidney, it's what makes live donation possible and why you don't get a transplant in the unlikely event (traumatic injury for example) only one kidney fails.

I've looked at the questions again and wonder if the GP is asking whether the donor kidney was a left or right kidney when they asked which kidney did you have transplanted. It's a reach given the daft nature of the other questions and only really makes a difference to transplant surgeons but I'm trying to give them the benefit of the doubt.

I did know that you ended up with three kidneys (if you started with two) after transplant but I use to be a CNS in a transplant centre so you would expect me to!